Meeting the DSs at Temple Trees on March 18, the PM told them that it would be a national responsibility to preserve these vanishing heritages.

The Department of Cultural Affairs will assist in this exercise, under which audio and visual information will be collected.

Secretary to the prime minister Saman Ekanayake has been instructed to prepare a plan of action in this regard in cooperation with the secretary and the director of cultural affairs.

Information gathering of folk songs and folk lore was last conducted in 1940 by the then Radio Ceylon on instructions by communication minister Sir John Kotelawala.